Where to do open water?

[steve03]

I am taking the classroom portion and confined water part this weekend and I need help in deciding where to go for my Open Water.

the choices:
A local resevoir with visibility 1-3 feet and temps in the 50's that is 15 mins away OR
Blue Hole in Santa Rosa, NM. Its 7 hrs of driving but temps always in the 60's with great visibility (its a Spring by the way)

Any suggestions?

We don't have alot of options here in Colorado (other than to go hiking, biking, rafting, climbing, etc...)


Steve

 

[WileEDiver]

How about getting certified close by, so when you make the long haul to the "nicer" location, you can enjoy it more having been trained in the "rougher" environment?

 

[daylight]

Steve03,
First of all, Welcome to the board and Good Luck on satisfactorily completing your OW.
My $.02, I would make the seven hour drive. Using such a cold low vis environment for OW is going to be very difficult as a good learning environment. The main priority you will have is getting out of the water and getting warm.
You already have a large investment in your class and time, so why not do the OW were you get some return for your investment. Take a camera and make some memories.
Dive Safe,
Larry

 

[Padipro]

I second Larry's idea. Make a weekend of it, have a great time, take a camera and have fun. Doesn't sound like you could do any of that in the local sink hole.

Scott

 

[PinkPADIgal]

I would get your certification done in Colorado. Vis will suck but diving in those conditions makes you a better diver.

I teach in the Puget Sound. About 70% of my students will never dive there again but all come back thanking me because the tougher, cold water conditions made diving in the tropics a breeze.

Amy

 

[steve03]

Thanks for all of the input!

After speaking with a few instructors at my LDS, I think I am going to save the vacation days and dive here locally.

they make a pretty good weekend out of it and bring out the BBQ afterwards, and then its only a 15 min drive home.

I will probably get to go to Blue Hole I am sure sometime, since its either that or Homestead (Utah) in the winter.

hmm...Utah in the Winter, I see a snowboarding/scuba trip in my future.

thanks again!

 

[Al Mialkovsky]

I think you've made the right choice. Just get it over.

The only special memories I have from my check out dive is that I knew I'd never have to dive with that jerk again. At the conclusion of the class I gave my instructor a t-shirt with a bullseye on it and then asked him if he wanted to go hunting with me.

This was back in the dark ages when some instructors thought they were turning out supermen. Things have gotten very user friendly.